Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment

Opticare Vision/Express Mobile Transport

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Highlands Hometown Heroes Save The Day

It's been almost three months since a Fourth of July weekend five high school students and their families will likely never forget.

Kanda Hutson Beltos, a 1982 Highlands High School graduate, and her family were at Norris Lake when they met up with high school friends Cindy and Bill Murray, their son and three of his friends.

Beltsos' son, Steven, a junior at St. Xavier High School, fell from a rope swing 15 to 20 feet, missing the lake and falling to the shore line, breaking his pelvis and badly injuring him. That is when HHS seniors Grant Murray, Brady Gosney, Jared Pulsfort and Jamir Logan, without hesitation, came to the rescue.

"Without these young men’s strength and nimble skills, I truly do not know how we would have gotten my son out of the water, onto the boat, said Beltsos.

They were never squeamish with the blood, helped move him multiple times and each of them gave Steven words of encouragement."

Once Steven was loaded onto the Murray's boat, they drove to a marina where they were met by the paramedics.

This is an advertisement.

"One would think paramedics servicing a lake community would be familiar with traumas and the patient’s care. However that was not the case," said Beltsos.

The paramedics were not strong enough to lift Steven onto a backboard or to lift him out of the boat.
Beltsos and her husband were able to get Steven onto the backboard and lift him out to the boys. Apparently, the ramp from the marina to the shore was not strong enough for multiple people to walk across. The paramedics stated the last time they transported someone over the bridge, the bridge collapsed and they dropped the patient into the water.

With everyone's help Steven was loaded onto a pontoon and transported to an ambulance, an area medical clinic and then hospital.

Beltsos says her family was in a complete state of panic and shock, yet these heroes, she said, helped in every way possible to get them all to the hospital, the boats secured and the things they needed. Being unfamiliar with Norris Lake, the Beltsos' say they were extremely fortunate the Murray's knew the lake well.

Today, Steven is making a full recovery after he had permanent titanium screws put in his pelvis and overcame a staph infection and other cuts and wounds. He says he is beyond blessed the boys were there to help.

In light of the situation, and after they knew Steven was fine, his family had shirts made...jokingly, but forever grateful the accident was not worse than it could have been. FTM file.

All four boys say they don't necessarily consider themselves heroes, admit it was scary and agree they did what they think anyone would do in that situation.

But if you ask Kanda Beltsos, she will tell you that they are, in fact, heroes and incredibly brave young men that will forever be in their hearts.

"When people say boaters are family, we truly mean it. The Murrays, Grant, Brady, Jared and Jamir helped my family on one of the worst days of our lives. These young heroes should be recognized for their selflessness, compassion, kindness and their muscles too!," she added.